summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorOlivier Crête <olivier.crete@collabora.com>2016-06-15 21:41:27 -0400
committerOlivier Crête <olivier.crete@collabora.com>2016-06-15 21:41:27 -0400
commit39eedcc9d7da7d8e89da786b4773df3e7a8d359b (patch)
tree2972cb81a79e1a381bf572ddebfa9b3c35f9aebe
parent06563a56ef19b4b2c25db40b3bdc2a551fdeccfd (diff)
reviewed the legal information
-rw-r--r--TODO.md3
-rw-r--r--manual-gstreamer.md2
-rw-r--r--sdk-legal-information.md148
3 files changed, 76 insertions, 77 deletions
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 86b3a43..e910977 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ Pages to review:
- sdk-windows-deployment.md
- sdk-mac-osx-deployment.md
- sdk-multiplatform-deployment-using-cerbero.md
- - sdk-legal-information.md
- - sdk-api-reference.md
Screenshots:
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@ Reviewed pages:
- sdk-tutorials.md
- sdk-android-tutorial-link-against-gstreamer.md
- sdk-android-tutorial-a-running-pipeline.md
- - sdk-api-reference.md
- sdk-playback-tutorials.md
- sdk-playback-tutorial-playbin-usage.md
- sdk-playback-tutorial-subtitle-management.md
diff --git a/manual-gstreamer.md b/manual-gstreamer.md
index 11d27e9..3e51284 100644
--- a/manual-gstreamer.md
+++ b/manual-gstreamer.md
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ GStreamer plug-ins could be classified into
- sinks: for audio and video (involves protocol plugins)
-![Gstreamer overview](images/gstreamer-overview.png "fig:")
+![GStreamer overview](images/gstreamer-overview.png "fig:")
GStreamer is packaged into
diff --git a/sdk-legal-information.md b/sdk-legal-information.md
index 1275885..b2c7d20 100644
--- a/sdk-legal-information.md
+++ b/sdk-legal-information.md
@@ -7,100 +7,100 @@ short-description: Patents, Licenses and legal F.A.Q.
# Installer, default installation
The installer (Microsoft Windows and MacOSX) and the default
-installation (GNU/Linux) contain and install the minimal default
-installation. At install time or later, the downloading of optional
-components is also possible, but read on for certain legal cautions you
-might want to take. All downloads are from the
-[freedesktop.org](http://freedesktop.org) website.
+installation (GNU/Linux) contain and install the minimal default
+installation. At install time or later, the downloading of optional
+components is also possible, but read on for certain legal cautions you
+might want to take. All downloads are from the
+[gstreamer.freedesktop.org](http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org) website.
# Licensing of SDK
-Gstreamer SDK minimal default installation only contains packages which
-are licensed under the [GNU LGPL license
+GStreamer SDK minimal default installation only contains packages which
+are licensed under the [GNU LGPL license
v2.1](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html). This
-license gives you the Freedom to use, modify, make copies of the
-software either in the original or in a modified form, provided that the
-software you redistribute is licensed under the same licensing terms.
-This only extends to the software itself and modified versions of it,
-but you are free to link the LGPL software as a library used by other
-software under whichever license. In other words, it is a weak copyleft
+license gives you the Freedom to use, modify, make copies of the
+software either in the original or in a modified form, provided that the
+software you redistribute is licensed under the same licensing terms.
+This only extends to the software itself and modified versions of it,
+but you are free to link the LGPL software as a library used by other
+software under whichever license. In other words, it is a weak copyleft
license.
Therefore, it is possible to use the SDK to build applications that are
-then distributed under a different license, including a proprietary one,
-provided that reverse engineering is not prohibited for debugging
-modifications purposes. Only the pieces of the SDK that are under the
-LGPL need to be kept under the LGPL, and the corresponding source code
-must be distributed along with the application (or an irrevocable offer
-to do so for at least three years from distribution). Please consult
+then distributed under a different license, including a proprietary one,
+provided that reverse engineering is not prohibited for debugging
+modifications purposes. Only the pieces of the SDK that are under the
+LGPL need to be kept under the LGPL, and the corresponding source code
+must be distributed along with the application (or an irrevocable offer
+to do so for at least three years from distribution). Please consult
section 6 of the
[LGPL](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html) for
-further details as to what the corresponding source code must contain.
+further details as to what the corresponding source code must contain.
Some portions of the minimal default installation may be under
-different licenses, which are both more liberal than the LGPL (they are
-less strict conditions for granting the license) and compatible with the
-LGPL. This is advised locally.
+different licenses, which are both more liberal than the LGPL (they are
+less strict conditions for granting the license) and compatible with the
+LGPL. This is advised locally.
# Optional packages
There are two types of optional packages (GPL and Patented), which are
-under a different license or have other issues concerning patentability
+under a different license or have other issues concerning patentability
(or both).
### GPL code
Part of the optional packages are under the GNU GPL
[v2](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html) or
-[v3](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html). This means that you
+[v3](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html). This means that you
cannot link the GPL software in a program unless the same program is
-also under the GPL, but you are invited to seek competent advice on how
-this works in your precise case and design choices. GPL is called
-“strong copyleft” because the condition to distributed under the same
-license has the largest possible scope and extends to all derivative
+also under the GPL, but you are invited to seek competent advice on how
+this works in your precise case and design choices. GPL is called
+“strong copyleft” because the condition to distributed under the same
+license has the largest possible scope and extends to all derivative
works.
### Patents
Certain software, and in particular software that implements
-multimedia standard formats such as Mp3, MPEG 2 video and audio, h.264,
-MPEG 4 audio and video, AC3, etc, can have patent issues. In certain
-countries patents are granted on software and even software-only
-solution are by and large considered patentable and are patented (such
-as in the United States). In certain others, patents on pure software
-solutions are formally prohibited, but granted (this is the case of
-Europe), and in others again are neither allowed nor granted.
+multimedia standard formats such as MP3, MPEG 2 video and audio, h.264,
+MPEG 4 audio and video, AC3, etc, can have patent issues. In certain
+countries patents are granted on software and even software-only
+solution are by and large considered patentable and are patented (such
+as in the United States). In certain others, patents on pure software
+solutions are formally prohibited, but granted (this is the case in many
+European countries), and in others again are neither allowed nor granted.
It is up to you to make sure that in the countries where the SDK is
-used, products are made using it and product are distributed, a license
-from the applicable patent holders is required or not. Receiving the SDK
-– or links to other downloadable software – does not provide any license
-expressed or implied over these patents, except in very limited
-conditions where the license so provides. No representation is made.
+used, products are made using it and product are distributed, a license
+from the applicable patent holders is required or not. Receiving the SDK
+– or links to other downloadable software – does not provide any license
+expressed or implied over these patents, except in very limited
+conditions where the license so provides. No representation is made.
In certain cases, the optional packages are distributed only as source
-code. It is up to the receiver to make sure that in the applicable
-circumstances compiling the same code for a given platform or
-distributing the object code is not an act that infringes one or more
+code. It is up to the receiver to make sure that in the applicable
+circumstances compiling the same code for a given platform or
+distributing the object code is not an act that infringes one or more
patents.
# Software is as-is
-All software and the entire SDK is provided as-is, without any
-warranty whatsoever. The individual licenses have particular language
-disclaiming liability: we invite you to read all of them. Should you
-need a warranty on the fact that software works as intended or have any
-kind of indemnification, you have the option to subscribe a software
-maintenance agreement with a company or entity that is in that business.
-Fluendo and Collabora, as well as some other companies, provide software
-maintenance agreements under certain conditions, you are invited to
-contact them in order to receive further details and discuss of the
+All software and the entire GStreamer SDK is provided as-is, without any
+warranty whatsoever. The individual licenses have particular language
+disclaiming liability: we invite you to read all of them. Should you
+need a warranty on the fact that software works as intended or have any
+kind of indemnification, you have the option to subscribe a software
+maintenance agreement with a company or entity that is in that business.
+Fluendo and Collabora, as well as some other companies, provide software
+maintenance agreements under certain conditions, you are invited to
+contact them in order to receive further details and discuss of the
commercial terms.
# Data protection
This website might use cookies and HTTP logs for statistical analysis
-and on an aggregate basis only.
+and on an aggregate basis only.
# Frequently Asked Questions
@@ -131,29 +131,31 @@ distributing works that utilize the SDK.
#### Can I / must I distribute the SDK along with my application?
You surely can. All software is Free/Open Source software, and can be
-distributed freely. You are not **required** to distribute it. Only, be
-reminded that one of the conditions for you to use software under
+distributed freely. You are not **required** to distribute it. Only,
+be reminded that one of the conditions for you to use software under
certain licenses to make a work containing such software, is that you
-also distribute the complete source code of the original code (or of the
-modified code, if you have modified it). There are alternative ways to
-comply with this obligation, some of them do not require any actual
-distribution of source code, but since the SDK contains the entire
-source code, you might want to include it (or the directories containing
-the source code) with your application as a safe way to comply with this
-requirement of the license.
+also distribute the complete source code of the original code (or of
+the modified code, if you have modified it). There are alternative
+ways to comply with this obligation, some of them do not require any
+actual distribution of source code, but since the SDK contains the
+entire source code, you might want to include it (or the directories
+containing the source code) with your application as a safe way to
+comply with this requirement of the license.
#### What happens when I modify the GStreamer SDK's source code?
You are invited to do so, as the licenses (unless you are dealing with
proprietary bits, but in that case you will not find the corresponding
-source code) so permit. Be reminded though that in that case you need to
-also provide the complete corresponding source code (and to preserve the
-same license, of course). You might also consider to push your
-modifications upstream, so that they are merged into the main branch of
-development if they are worth it and will be maintained by the GStreamer
-project and not by you individually. We invite you not to fork the code,
-if at all
-possible.
+source code) so permit. Be reminded though that in that case you need
+to also provide the complete corresponding source code (and to
+preserve the same license, of course). You might also consider to push
+your modifications upstream, so that they are merged into the main
+branch of development if they are worth it and will be maintained by
+the GStreamer project and not by you individually. We invite you not
+to fork the code, if at all possible. he Cerbero build system has a
+"bundle-source" command that can help you create a source bundle
+containing all of the complete corresponding machine readable source
+code that you are required to provide.
#### How does licensing relate to software patents? What about software patents in general?
@@ -196,9 +198,9 @@ A widespread line of thinking says that dynamic linking is conversely
not relevant to the copyleft effect, since the mingling of code in a
larger work is done at runtime. However, another equally authoritative
line of thought says that only certain type of dynamic linking is not
-copyright relevant.  Therefore, using a library that is specifically
+copyright relevant. Therefore, using a library that is specifically
designed to be loaded into a particular kind of software, even through
-API,  requires permission by the copyright holder of the library when
+API, requires permission by the copyright holder of the library when
the two pieces are distributed together.
In all cases, since most of the software we include in the SDK is under